Loading machine



April 9, 1946 a E L 2,398,177

LOADING MACHINE I Filed Jan. 12, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

' Pic/7am 3 Ell/02% A TTORNE Y3 April 9, 1946. R. B. ELLIOTT LOADING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 12, 1945 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 9, 1946 LOADING MACHINE Richard B. Elliott, Sidney, Ohio, 'assignor to Robins Conveyors Incorporated, Passaic, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 12, 1945, Serial No. 572,514

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a loading and conveying device of the type adapted to hoist a load at one place, and transport it to and deposit it at another. A primary object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and practical loading and conveying device of the type described in which the load is both mechanically hoisted and locked in place and in which the subsequent transporting, stopping, and discharging of the load are also wholly mechanical. Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In one form of the invention, and as described and illustrated in the following description and accompanying drawings, the device is specially useful in hoisting flasks containing heavy sand castings and depositing them on a shake-out or vibrating deck where the casting is shaken free of the sand, but the invention is applicable generally to hoisting and conveying problems, as will become apparent. In this preferred form the invention comprises a superstructure fastened to the shakeout and including track means for passage of a movable trolley thereon between a loading position and a discharge position, a powerdriven cable hoisting drum having a cable Wound thereon which engages the trolley, and various mechanically operated control means for hoisting, locking, transporting, stopping, and discharging the load, and preparing the device to handle another load.

The invention may be better understood by referring to the drawings, in which Fi 1 is a side elevational view of the loader and shakeout;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the loader and shakeout;

Fig. 3 is a detailed side elevational view of oertain features of the loader;

Figs. 4 and 7 are enlarged side elevational views of the trolley at its loading and discharging positions, respectively;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, along the line VV of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged rear elevational view, partly in section, along the line VI-VI of Fig. 4.

The shakeout, generally designated I, may be of any preferred construction, being shown in the instance as including a deck or grating 2 adapted to be vibrated by any suitable mechanism (not shown), and a chute 3 for the removal of the sand-free castings. The loose sand falls through the grating to the space 4 underneath the shakeout.

Rigidly mounted on the shakeout is a superstructure, generally designated 5, comprising upright frame members 6, I, a cross member 8 secured to the upright 1, and a member generally designated 9, having suitable track means I0, located above the shakeout and extending outwardly from the feed end II thereof. The cross member 8 supports a roller platform I2, located adjacent the feed end of the shakeout. The member 9, shown as an ordinary I-beam, of which the lower flanges constitute the track means, provides support for an electric motor I3; a cable hoisting drum assembly generally indicated as I4; a fixed plate I5 to which is secured one end of a snap-action spring I6; release means, shown as an L-shaped bracket I'I braced by a strut I8 (Fig. 7); catch means I9 (Figs. 3 and 4) a trolley 2| and biasing means therefor, suitably in the form of a cable 20 of which one end is secured to the trolley and the other end to a spring pulley 20'.

The cable hoisting drum assembly I4 comprises a hoisting drum 22 fixedly mounted on the shaft 23; a shaft 24 driven from motor I3 by means of the sprockets 25, 26 and the chain 21; and clutch means, such as a cone type clutch 28 connecting shafts 23 and 24. Journal brackets 29 and 30 support the shafts 23 and 24 from a plate 3|, which is in turn secured to the I-beam 9. Rotation of the shaft 23, and therefore the hoisting drum 22, is shown controlled by a face-cam and spring 32, 33 and a fixed plate 34 which one end of spring 33 abuts. Manually operated power control means, shown as a clutch lever 35, are attached to the cam 32. When this lever is in the position shown by broken lines, denoted as 35' (Figs. 1 and 3), the shaft 23 is disengaged from the shaft 24, and consequently the drum 22 is free to rotate independently of the motor; however, when the lever is in the position denoted by solid lines, shaft 23 is engaged through the clutch with shaft 24, and the drum 22 is rotated by the motor in a direction to wind the cable 59. The clutch lever 35 is connected by link 36 to mechanically operated power control means in the form of a lever 37, which is also pivotally connected to the plate I5. As in the case of lever 35, drum 22 will be free to rotate when lever 31 is in the broken line position, denoted 31'; the drum will be rotated by the motor when lever 31 is in solid line position. The lower end of snap-action spring I6 is connected to lever 31.

The trolley 2| comprises two side plates 38, 39 (Fig. 6), each having a pair of rollers II), 4| secured to their upper inside surfaces for travel along the track Ill. The plates are slotted or cut out at their lower ends, as at 42, 43 to receive the jaws 44, 45 of a pair of latch members 41, 48 urged toward each other by a spring 49. The latch members are pivotally mounted on the side plates by means of blocks 50, 5|, and pins 52, 53. Trolley latch means in the form of a latch 54 is pivotally secured between the side plates by pin 55, one end orsaia latch being adapted to engage the catch I9 on track means and the other end being loosely fastened to cable-actuated latch release means, shown as a tripping rod 56 having a loop 56' at its lower end encircling the cable 59. A bumper plate 51 is attached to the lower front end of the trolley in position to engage a bar 31a carried by the lower end of lever 3'! (Fig. 3); and between the trolley side plates is journalled a hoist pulley 58 over which the cable 59 from drum 22 passes, the free end of the cable being fastened to suitable load supporting means such as the tongs 60. At a point suitably distant from the tongs the cable is provided with a fixed button 6 I, which issimply an enlargement on the cable tapered on its upper side.

In operation, the trolley is first brought to its loading position at the outer end of the I-beam where it is held by latch 54 The tongs Bil are made fast to a load 62 and the clutch lever 35 is then manually moved or snapped over to the position shown by the solid lines to engage shaft 23 with the rotating shaft 24 by means or the clutch 28, thereby to rotate drum 22 and raise the load. The button 6| is so located on cable 59 that when it reaches the trolley, the load 62 is at such a height as to permit it to be moved in above the rollerplatforrn l2. As the load is raised, the button 6| engages and pusheslatch members 41, 48 apart (Fig. the lower adjacent edges of the jaws being beveled to facilitate its entry between them (Fig. 6). As the button emerges from the jaw opening, the jaws close behind it, thereby locking the load against descent relativelyto the trolley. Shortly thereafter the button strikes the tripping rod 55 which, in turn, acts to release the latch 54 from engagement with the catch l9, I 'hereupon the continued winding of the cable 59 draws thetrolley inwardly on the track l0, the relatively light op position offered by the spring 20' yielding and paying out the cable 2ll. W

As the trolley approaches the discharge position, generally indicated as 53 in Fig. 3, the bumper plate 51 strikes the bar 31a and continued movement of the trolley, snaps the levers 3 to their positions 31', 35, thus disengaging the hoisting drum 22 from the motor. I he tendency of the cable to unwind at the discharge position of the trolley would be checked by the engagement of the underside of button 5| with the top of jaws 44, 45, but just prior to the trolley reaching the limit of its inward movement; the button BI is engaged by the free end of bracket Hand is pushed off the jaws 44, 45 (Fig. 7), allowin the cable to unwind and the load 62 to drop to the roller platform I 2 where it is disengaged by the operator from the tongs and moved to the vibrating deck 2 of the shakeout. The trolley relieved ofits load, is then automatically returned, to its loading position by the action of cable 20 and its spring pulley 20'.

As will be apparent, the invention thus makes it possible to load the shakeout rapidly and continuously and with a minimum amount of hendling of both the flasks and the loader by the operator.

While the foregoing comprises a specific description of one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form is shown for purpose of illustration, and that the principles of the invention are of general application in the loading and conveying art. The following is claimed.

I'claini:

1. In a shakeout having a vibrating deck, the combination of a superstructure supported above the deck including elevated track means extending outwardly beyond the feed end of the deck, a trolley movable along said track means between a loading position adjacent the outer end thereof and a discharge position above said feed end of the deck, and a hoist pulley niounted on the trolley; a po encnven cable hoisting drum mountedon the superstructure and a cable cit tending from the drum and trained over said pulley; trolley latch means for maintaining the trolley in its said loading position; pcwen cantr i means manually operable for applyingp'ower to said power-driven cable hoisting drum; cable lock means for looking a load against descent re'latively to said trolley; cable-actuated means for releasing said trolley latch means to ireethe trolley for inward movement on the trackiheans; means engaged by the trolley for shutting off power driven to said power-cable hoisting drum at said trolley discharge position; release means responsive to movement of the trolley for releasing the load from said cable lock tnea ns, thereby to release the load upon saidvibifating deck; and means located at the outer end of said track means for returning the trolley to its load ing position in response to release of the load.

2. Combination according to cla iinl in said cable lock mean includes a latch and an enlargem nt on the cable engageable therewith.

3. In a flask convey ng apparatus having a deck for s'u'ppor'tin'g' said flask, the combination or a superstructure supported above the deckiricludmg elevated track means extending outwardly be; yond the deck, a trolley movable alon ai track means between a loadin statioh adjacent one end drawer and a raiser-large station, and a hoist pulley mounted on the trolley; power di'iven tabl withdrawal means mounted on the superstructure and a cable extending from said means and trained over said pulley; pdwer-cbiititi'means manually operable for applying newer t'Jgs-aid power-driven cable withdrawal means; ,cable ld'ck means for positioning a lead relatiteiy to can trolley; means engaged by the trolley ffdr slittting off power to said sewer-arisen cable with drawal means at said trolley disharg'e station; cable-actuated means ehgagea'tie with and releasable from the load; and 'm'eahs located at the end of said track means for returning the trolley to its loading station in response to release oftheload. V

RICHARD B. ELLIb'r'r. 

